St. John's

What a feeling!!!   I got up and had NO COMMITMENTS today. It was my day to do what I wanted, although I did have plans. But none of them involved riding a bike.

Quite a few of the group were leaving today and I said a few good byes as they waited in the lobby for their ride to the airport. The end of these trips is so bitter sweet. As much as you are excited to go home, it is sad to see the people you have spent so much time with over the last couple of months go home.

I walked downtown yet again (I am really getting to know my way around this part) and met up with Neil and his wife Susan, Rob and Mike. We also ran into Larry and Gee as well at the Bagel Cafe. A restaurant that knew how to serve food. The portions were gigantic and thank goodness Mike was beside me because he got to eat part of my omelet that was to die for. I just could NOT eat any more. Thank goodness I was walking back to the hotel so gave me a bit of a chance to work some of that breakfast off. One has to be careful now and NOT eat like you need thousands of calories in a day - just a few!!!!!

Neil and Susan generously offered to take myself, Becky and Louise to Cape Spear. Originally there had been some talk about riding bikes there, but thank goodness we did NOT. It is a fairly long ways away and the HILLS - oh yes - there are hills. And when we arrived the wind was whipping at fierce gales around. So I was very happy to get a ride. The place is the most eastern tip of Canada. We went into the old lighthouse which is pretty neat as the HOUSE for the lighthouse keeper is built AROUND the lighthouse. Yep - the base of that lighthouse is INSIDE the house. Pretty wild. A new lighthouse is now on the site, but this place was very interesting to visit. There was a path around the tip, but it was so windy that it probably was best that we didn't walk there especially since part of it was on the cliff!!!!   Can you imagine - I survived cycling across Canada only to be blown off a cliff in Newfoundland??????

Also the weather wasn't the greatest all day - we had rain, we had WIND and we had cold. But fortunately it did stop raining for most of the afternoon. We could see Signal Hill from Cape Spear. Neil then drove us up Signal Hill so we could get a view of the harbour and see what we missed the day before. Holy cow - if I had of seen where we were going yesterday on the bike - I might have quit before I got there!!!!   But it was beautiful albeit WINDY. What a beautiful place - again it would be nice to come back and visit on a nice day so you could hike around the grounds and really get to enjoy the view. So neat to look at St. John's and see all those coloured houses. Makes it very cheery looking.

We popped into a pub and had a pint and more food - but by this time it is late afternoon. I have seafood chowder which was delicious. We managed to get bike boxes from the bike shop next door to the pub for Becky and Louise. Then back to our hotel. Thanks to Neil and Susan for chauffeuring us around today. We really appreciated it!!!!!!!!

I went to my room and decided to read for a bit. Yes - the room was still a disaster and I NEED to start packing, but I was so TIRED from not sleeping well last night that I ended up having a nap. After an almost three hour nap - I was finally awake!  I have managed to get MOST of my stuff packed. The bike is apart and in the bike box - still a few pieces to add to the box before it gets closed up for the trip home. Yes - I am coming home tomorrow. That is going to be very weird to be going home and staying there!!!!!   While I am sad that our trip is done - I am excited to go home. My girls better be excited to see me!!!!!!

I had two missions to complete while in St. John's and one of them was to get to Cape Spear. I have accomplished that today - I still have ONE geocache to find tomorrow. I have done the research and know where it is and will head out in the morning to get it. It is close to the hotel and hopefully (according to the notes - it was found just the other day) so I should be OK.

On that note - I am off to finish packing - or maybe another nap - or maybe read my book.

Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!